Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Some oh so high moments
with Zev this agility season - A series of first
achievements for me and Zev. We came

2nd in the Medium KC qualifier
for the semi’s at Thames, so now have a chance to qualify to run at Olympia

1st in the Crufts Singles at
Landsdown (Marc won the smalls with Big, so nice to do the double)

1st in the championship jumping
qualifying round at Tuffsbury

This is so exciting. Then another bonus was
Marc and I with Zev and Big achieved another double at Tuffsbury by qualifying
for the Pro-Plan final in September.

However, our record
for getting through to champ finals is abysmal this year. Last year I think we
only failed to qualify for 2 finals. This year up to the end of June we have
qualified for just one!!! Talk about a reversal and that’s a bugger. The
getting to shows is costly and we luv running in the finals it real ‘by the sit of your
pants’ stuff. So the focus for the rest of summer is champ. This focus has made
the difference, we made the last 3 finals and we won our second championship
ticket at the Agility Club Show on 27th July 2013, then the icing on
the cake was the next day we won the Medium KC qualifier. What a weekend of determination, focus and sheer highs of running agility courses :)

For me it is a sense
of achievement and recognition of an evolving handling style and a fabulous
sheltie, who gives so much. To some this may seem a ‘bragging’ post, but what
the heck we achieved this and this is a record and celebration of that
achievement. And good stuff happens to need celebrating...

Tuesday, 9 July 2013

It has been intense.
Marc and Big’s at WAO’s in Oviedo, Spain – fabulous 2 seconds and 2 firsts, a good
clear in the team to assist England
to achieve a Silver team medal. In England they have won two reserve
tickets and qualified for the semis. Great form. For me grooming for Bigs to
sitting last major exam, submitting an assignment and doing a presentation. The discipline to keep going the last two
years has been intense. With agility it has been a case of there but not there,
so much

studying and how Zev and I have managed to achieve being reserve

Bear and Zev - play time

both
for WAO England and Team GB, whilst all this is going on is both amazing and
crazy. Being the team reserve has it down and up sides. The training
sessions meant Zev and I were getting some training, remembering agility and
gaining some great ideas to improve our competitiveness. The down side of being
the reserve is just being nearly there but not there!!!! Mentally it is quite a
challenge, but I’d rather be a reserve and than not gain a place at all.

I am already thinking
how I can make me and Zev a better and faster team. As the rules for having a
chance to try out for representing Team GB have changed. Understandably I get
why, but bugger me we need to seriously raise our game. How much can we max out
of our performances every time? We are so on the edge J, so I need to now get back to agility being
seriously fun and nail those courses.

We have ordered some
more and much needed agility equipment so that we can start to set proper courses rather
than elements of courses. This should be arriving this month. Who knows I might
do some teaching of agility again?

Then the beautiful Bear
continues to be a delight and lead me quite the merry dance. He has topped it
by having his first fox poo-roll. Darn, foxes coming into the garden ;)

Rivi aka Nedlo Drives Me Wild - AWG

Nuts aka Woodsorrel Drives Me Nuts

Storm aka Storm's A Brewing

My boy, who taught me so much. Thank you and miss you. Took me from Elementary to Novice, in his final year of agility was second overall for the Novice Classic and finished third in the final - DINAS 2004. In Obedience Storm took me from Pre-Beginner to 'A'

Wings aka Woodsorrel Bright Wings

Marc & Wings, a journey indeed - came to us with more baggage than a airport luggage conveyor belt, not that you would know that now :-) Grade 6 in agility with one agility win to Grade 7. Won the KC Novice Cup 2007 and Qualified Crufts Team 2011. Now retired to watch TV and herd to her hearts content.

Raz aka Woodsorrel Crazy Nut

Marc's crazy sweet dog – Obedience C only and Grade 7 - Championship level in Agility. Raz had floaters in his eyes that cause blurring since birth, which build up and cause the retinal detachment. At 6 he finally became blind in one eye and worsening poor vision in the other due to retinal detachment, which meant he was retired at 6 years old. It is amazing and a testament to Marc's handling that Raz did as well as he did. The problem is hereditary / CEA. Raz also has the occasional 'fit' and intolerant of any cereal ie wheat/maize.

Tri aka No spills Tri Thrills

Marc's girl - sorely missed - one fantastic season going senior and to the semi's before being retired at 3 years old - due to chroic hd/back and heart problems. That one year was a golden summer of agility, watching them run together was simply thrilling. Her previous owners had brought her from a pet shop, fortunately they rehomed her to us when she was a around a year old.